Fuel reforming process for internal combustion engines

ABSTRACT

A fuel reforming system, process, and device including a catalytic chamber and a heating chamber. The catalytic chamber, further including a fluid fuel intake and a gaseous fluid exit port and at least one heat exchanger for distributing heat between the heating chamber and the catalytic chamber. The catalytic chamber further including a screen member having a surface, wherein the member includes a catalytic deposit made from a combination of platinum and rhodium alloy. A catalytic conversion of converting liquid fuel to gaseous fuel occurs within the catalytic chamber. Fuel exits the fuel reforming device through a gaseous fluid exit port.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. applicationSer. No. 12/015,253 filed on Jan. 16, 2008 and Ser. No. 12/609,401 filedon Oct. 30, 2009, the entire contents of each are hereby incorporatedherein in their entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to internal combustion engines,and more particularly, to a fuel reforming process that improves theefficiency of fuel consumption and reduces environmental pollutantsgenerated by internal combustion engines.

2. Background of the Invention

In response to tightening EPA regulations on automobile exhaust,catalytic converters were introduced to the United States market in the1970s. Catalytic converters are universally employed in automobileexhaust systems for the reduction of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, andoxides of nitrogen. Employed in generator sets, forklifts, miningequipment, trucks, buses, trains, autos, and other engine-equippedmachines, catalytic converters provide an environment for a chemicalreaction where toxic combustion by-products are converted to less-toxicsubstances.

Although exhaust catalytic converters remove noxious gases and reducesome green house gases, these devices suffer from several drawbacks. Forexample, prior art catalytic converters admit spent fuel in a gaseousform rather than a liquid form. Further, the conversion of gases withinthese devices does not reduce greenhouse pollutants at an efficientrate.

Due to the world's finite supply of fossil fuels, the problems ofinefficient catalytic converters must be addressed. For example, ifcatalytic converters could admit a liquid fuel and convert it into agaseous fuel product prior to combustion, fuel would burn cleanerresulting in reduced pollution and have a higher combustive power byvirtue of increased enthalpy of the converted gaseous product. It wouldbe highly desirable if exhaust catalytic converters in products usingfossil fuels, diesel fuels, or aircraft fuels, including liquefied coal,could further reduce greenhouse gas pollutants such as methane, carbondioxide, and nitrous oxide.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, a fuel reforming process for internal combustion engines isprovided that is readily employed to increase the efficiency of theworld's remaining fossil fuels through higher combustive power andincreased enthalpy based upon thermodynamic analysis. This fuelreforming process produces a cleaner burning product and removes moregreenhouse gas pollutants than prior art. Most desirably, thedissociation of water could produce the perfect fuel by eliminating theneed for the exhaust catalytic converter. Theoretically, the products ofcombustion would only be water vapor, H2 and O. Additionally, greenhouse contamination from combustion could be virtually zero. Thisprocess as applied to water, however, will require more experimentationand would require higher temperatures for dissociation than petroleumproducts and ethanol. The fuel reforming process for internal combustionengines resolves several disadvantages and drawbacks experienced in theart.

In a first aspect, a fuel reforming device is comprised of a catalyticchamber, a heating chamber, a fluid fuel intake and a converted gaseousfluid exit port. The catalytic chamber includes at least one heatexchanger for distributing heat between the heating chamber and thecatalytic chamber. The catalytic chamber further includes at least onescreen member that contains a catalytic deposit that is metallurgicallyclad upon the screen member's surface.

In one embodiment, the catalytic deposit is an alloy comprising platinumor rhodium or platinum. For example, a ratio of platinum to rhodium isideally between 65:35 and 90:10. However, a ratio of 85:15 of platinumto rhodium is highly desirable. In another embodiment, the screen membermay be comprised of a non-porous surface that facilitates the catalyticreaction. The catalytic reaction within the fuel reforming device maycomprise converting a liquid fuel into a gaseous fuel. The device mayalso include a thermostat for controlling the temperature within thecatalytic chamber. Electrical leads may also attach the thermostat toflow control valves. The flow control valves may also be attached to theheating chamber and may regulate the flow of heat into the catalyticchamber. In another embodiment, at least one heat exchanger distributesheat onto the catalytic chamber.

In a second aspect, a fuel reforming process for converting liquid fuelinto gaseous fuel includes passing liquid fuel into the catalyticchamber through the fluid fuel intake port. The process further includesheating the liquid fuel until the maximum catalytic temperature isreached within the catalytic chamber. The liquid fuel is subsequentlyprocessed into a gaseous fuel and dispensed from the catalytic chamberthrough the gaseous fuel exit port.

In one embodiment, the maximum catalytic temperature may be between 400to 700 degrees Fahrenheit. However, a maximum catalytic temperaturebetween 450 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit is highly desirable.

In another aspect, a system for a fuel reforming device and a fuelreforming process is comprised of a catalytic chamber, a heatingchamber, at least one heat exchanger, and a screen member. The catalyticchamber houses the conversion of liquid fuel into gaseous fuel as theliquid fuel is passed into the catalytic chamber. The system includes aheating chamber that provides heat to facilitate the conversion ofliquid fuel into gaseous fuel within the catalytic chamber. The liquidfuel is heated until a maximum temperature is reached to facilitate theconversion of liquid fuel into gaseous fuel. The catalytic chamberincludes at least one heat exchanger for distributing heat between theheating chamber and the catalytic chamber. This process occurs as liquidfuel is processed as it contacts a screen member which has a surfacethat contains a catalytic deposit.

In one embodiment, the catalytic deposit is an alloy comprising platinumand rhodium. The ratio of platinum to rhodium is substantially 85:15. Inanother embodiment, at least one heat exchanger distributes heat intothe catalytic chamber until a maximum temperature of 450 to 600 degreesFahrenheit is substantially attained for converting the liquid fuel intothe gaseous fuel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present disclosure, which are believedto be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims.The present disclosure, both as to its organization and manner ofoperation, together with further objectives and advantages, may be bestunderstood by reference to the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings as set forth below:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the fuel reforming chamber;

FIG. 2. is a top view of the fuel reforming chamber;

FIG. 3 is an inlet end view of the fuel reforming chamber;

FIG. 4 is a partial end view section of the fuel reforming chamber;

FIG. 5 is a front and side view of the heat jacket caps;

FIG. 6 is a front and side view of the fuel chamber caps;

FIG. 7 is a front and side view of the heat exchanger and screen member;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the tubing and milled slots;

FIGS. 9 and 9A are perspective views of the tubing and screen members;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the fuelreforming device of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a side view of an end cap of the fuel reforming device ofFIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the fuelreforming device of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the fuelreforming device of the present disclosure; and

FIGS. 14-35 are examples showing fuel composition analysis according tothe present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is directed towards a fuel reforming device forinternal combustion engines, which are discussed in terms of internalcombustion engines, and more particularly, to a fuel reforming processthat increases fuel efficiency and reduces green house gas pollutants.The following discussion includes a description of the fuel reformingprocess, system, and device for internal combustion engines. Referencewill now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the disclosure,which are illustrated in the accompanying figures.

Referring to FIG. 1, a fuel reforming device 8 is designed to convert aliquid fuel that is passed from a fuel filter into a gaseous fuel priorto entering an engine's fuel injectors. The present disclosure issignificantly smaller in size and is contained in comparison to priorart. The fuel reforming device 8 is installed onto injectors (not shownin the figures) to perform this process.

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, the liquid fuel exits the fuel filter and entersa fluid fuel entry port 42. The fluid fuel entry port 42 is a passagethat directly connects the fuel filter to a catalytic chamber 12. Withinthe fluid fuel entry port 42, fuel passes in an undisturbed liquid stateby force of external pressure into the catalytic chamber 12. Thecatalytic chamber 12 is a structure where a catalytic conversion ofliquid fuel into gaseous fuel takes place. The choice of materials toconstruct the catalytic chamber 12 is dependant upon the temperaturerequired for the catalytic conversion. Any material that is capable ofwithstanding high degrees of temperature is suitable for the catalyticchamber 12. Materials such as stainless steel metals are generallypreferred. However, other embodiments may use different metals or othermaterials to create the catalytic chamber 12.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the catalytic chamber 12 includes a screenmember 30. The catalytic conversion of liquid fuel into gaseous fueloccurs as liquid fuel passes over and through the screen member 30. Itis contemplated that the screen member 30 may be a screen or otherconfiguration that provides a surface which can support a catalystdeposit 44. It is well known in the art that catalysts are required tofacilitate the conversion of liquid fuel into gaseous fuel. In apreferred embodiment of this invention, the surface of the screen member30 is flat and burr free as a result of a metal forming process such as“fine blanking” and is metallurgically clad with an alloy of platinumand rhodium. The ratio of platinum and rhodium is ideally betweensixty-five to thirty-five (65:35) and ninety to ten (90:10). However, aratio of eighty-five to fifteen (85:15) of platinum and rhodium ispreferable. Other embodiments may include additions to replace anddilute either, or both, the alloy of platinum and rhodium with elementssuch as Iridium, Gold, Palladium, Silver, Copper, with small additionsof trace elements such as Strontium, Actinium, Thorium, Cesium, Thulium,and Ytterbium.

The screen member 30 preferably provides a non-porous surface whereupona catalytic deposit 44 may clad. Non-porous materials (i.e., stainlesssteel wire of 304 series class) are ideal for cladding. In oneparticular embodiment, the clad may range from 0.0002″ to 0.0003″ of aninch thickness on stainless steel wire ending at 0.015″ to 0.018″diameter. It is well known in the art that other embodiments may achievesimilar results with any measurements of alloy thickness. Prior artcatalytic converters use platinum and rhodium alloy deposited over aceramic honeycomb surface for support. These catalytic converters,however, are incapable of facilitating a liquid fuel to gaseous fuelconversion due to clogging and the possibility of dirt and dust admittedinto the combustion system.

The catalytic conversion of a liquid fuel to a gaseous fuel requires anenvironment that can maintain high degrees of temperature. Heatinsulating materials may surround the catalytic chamber 12. A ceramiclining 14 is a type of heat insulating material that is suitable forthis purpose. Other materials that can act as heat insulators may beused in this device. These heat insulating materials should resistspalling and cracking from thermal shock and handling.

An outer shell 16 may surround the catalytic chamber 12. The ceramiclining 14 may line the interior of the outer shell 16. The outer shell16 may be comprised of, but is not limited to, materials such asstainless steel. A heat exchanger 18 may be secured to the outer shell16 through methods such as spot welding. It is well known in the artthat the heat exchanger 18 may be secured to the outer shell 16 throughalternative means. It is contemplated that the heat exchanger 18 may be,but is not limited to, materials such as baffle segments, barriers, andfins. At least one heat exchanger 18 may attach to the outer shell 16and can act as a circulation path for heat, through conduction, withinthe catalytic chamber 12.

Referring to FIGS. 1-6, heat jacket caps 20 retain the catalytic chamber12 in alignment. The fuel chamber caps 22 clamp the heat jacket caps 20and the catalytic chamber 12 assemblies together and form a hermeticseal. The heat jacket caps 20 and fuel chamber caps 22 may be composedof materials such as stainless steel and may be coated with a hightemperature cement.

Liquid fuel is heated beyond its standard operating temperature by aheating chamber 24 located above and below the catalytic chamber 12. Theheating chamber 24 contains an auxiliary electric heating element 26 andthe heat exchanger 18 to deflect heat to the catalytic chamber 12. Theceramic lining 14 may serve as heat insulation and surround the heatingchamber 24 to maintain the temperature within the heating chamber 24.

Heat is directed by force of external pressure into the heating chamber24 from a flow control valve 28 located below the fluid fuel entry port42. The flow control valves 28 may disburse heat emitted from anautomobile engine exhaust manifold to the heating chamber. This heat maybe directed upward by the heat exchanger 18 to distribute the heatuniformly over the catalytic chamber 12. The totality of heat emitted bythe heat chamber 24 and the flow control valve 28 is insufficient toreach the required temperature for the catalytic conversion. It is wellknown in the art that a temperature substantially within the range of400 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit is required to facilitate a catalyticconversion of liquid fuel to gaseous fuel. However, other endtemperature ranges as would be understood in the art may facilitate acatalytic conversion and therefore, is contemplated herein.

A thermostat 38 may gauge the temperature of the catalytic chamber 12.Heat exchanger 18 circulates heat around the catalytic chamber 12 toachieve a preferred maximum catalytic temperature of 450 to 600 degreesFahrenheit for the catalytic conversion. A pair of leads 40 may attachthe thermostat 38 to the flow control valve 28. The leads 40 may send anelectrical current from the thermostat 38 to the flow control valve 28when chamber temperature is substantially between 450 to 600 degreesFahrenheit. The flow of hot air from the flow control valve 28 into theheating chamber 12 will be ceased upon achieving the requiredtemperature.

Referring to FIGS. 1-9A, the screen member 30 may be secured by spacersleeves 32. The spacer sleeves 32 separate and clamp the screen member30 in position to prevent movement during the catalytic conversion. Thespacer sleeves 32 may be made from tubing 34 and may be composed ofstainless steel. It is also possible to design the spacer sleeves 32 inother shapes such as circular, oval, rectangular, or polygonal. Thetubing 34 may accommodate one or more screen members 30. Milled slots 36are located throughout the spacer sleeves 32 to ensure the screen member30 fits snuggly. The number and spacing of the milled slots 36 may bedetermined by the specific size of the catalytic chamber 12 and thenumber of screen members 30 required. The width of milled slots 36 maybe determined by the thickness of the screen member 30. Referring toFIG. 9A, a catalytic screen assembly is shown. The screen assemblyincludes catalytic clad screen members 46 (preferably, numbering from 1to 8), triangular or “U” shaped tubing preferably made from Inconel 600,retaining slots for retaining the clad screens 46, and the spacing ofthe tubes 48 in a circular or semi-circular spacing.

Referring to FIGS. 10-13, an alternate embodiment of the fuel reformingdevice is disclosed. The fuel reforming device may include a heatexchanger tube enclosing combustion air and octane fuel tubes 56,precision cast (of Inconel 600) end caps 58 being threaded for receivingcombustion air and fuel tubes 62, combustion air tube that is threadedalong its length 60, octane fuel tube that is threaded along its length62, a reducer 64 for exiting spent heat and creating backpressure of theexhaust gasses, and locking nuts for preventing leakage of air or octanefuel 68. The spent heat is exited to the exhaust catalytic converter byway of port 70 and heated octane is converted to gas and sent toinjectors of an engine 72. The device further includes baffles asdeflectors 74, solenoid connection on/off control of heat source 76,heat sensor 78, heated ambient combustion air to injectors of an engine80, a flapper valve connection for controlling heat input 82 and asensor feedback loop 84. In an alternate embodiment of the fuelreforming device, catalytic screens 86 are included as discussed herein.

The catalytic reaction of converting liquid fuel to gaseous fuel occursat a temperature of 450 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit as the liquid fuelpasses through the screen member 30 and contacts the catalytic deposit44. Internal pressure develops within the catalytic chamber 12 and movesthe liquid fuel across the screen members 30. Fuel exits the catalyticchamber 12 in a gaseous state through the gaseous exit port 10. Thegaseous exit port 10 transports gaseous fuel to injectors.

External batteries may be used as a source of energy to facilitate thecatalytic conversion. For example, lithium-ion batteries or solar energysources either on the roof of vehicles, outside on the roof of a homefor household purposes, or power generators are one of many possibleenergy sources in the event an automobile's standard battery isinadequate. This external battery would supply power to the auxiliaryelectric heating element 26.

The present description will have a higher octane number than theoriginal fuel in prior art, which will allow for a spark-ignited Ottocycle with a higher compression ratio, thereby improving efficiency.Such gains could ultimately increase the world's finite fuel supply froma minimum of 5% to the order of 20%+over the next twenty five to thirtyyears while producing a cleaner burning product which reduces pollutionof the environment and favorably influence global warming and healthissues. Thermodynamic analysis has shown that the enthalpy of thecatalytic gaseous product is increased. Furthermore, the fuel reformingprocess could increase the marketability of vehicles through greaterease of compliance with fuel standards such as CAFE.

The present description will also result in decreased fuel consumption,while creating lowered gaseous byproducts in each power stroke in thecombustion cycle. Thus, reducing noxious gases and carbon particles inthe exhaust stroke in the combustion cycle. The reduction of soot wouldbe particularly advantageous to the aircraft industry and diesel fuelusers reducing environmental hazards overall. As a result of theseadvantages, the miles per gallon of fuel would also increasesignificantly, reducing the world's demand on the limited supply offossil fuels. This would produce a large economic stimulus to businessand households in general. Additionally, these results would be of greatadvantage for automotive products, aircraft and off road vehicles.

The present invention could also improve more efficient use of liquidfuels in operations, such as oil fired burner equipment used for homeheating and power plant electrical generating systems. Theseapplications will also require additional energy input to keep thecatalytic chamber 12 hot enough to carry out the conversion reaction,such as, for example, a solar power assist mechanism.

The dissociation of water could produce the perfect fuel by eliminatingthe need for the exhaust catalytic converter. Theoretically, theproducts of combustion would only be water vapor, H2, and O.Additionally, green house contamination from combustion would bevirtually zero. The present invention reduces green house gas pollutantsfrom present day liquid petroleum fuels and potentially liquefied coalproducts. This process, as applied to water, however, will require moreexperimentation, and would require higher temperatures for dissociationthan petroleum products and ethanol.

In an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, a combinationmodule combines both air and octane fuel heated to a uniform temperaturebetween 450° F. and 600° F., for example, and is fed into the combustionchamber of the Carnot cycle engine. Thermodynamic data shows thatheating both the fuel and the combustion air assures a significantincreased level of Enthalpy (heat content of the fuel mixture),primarily from the conversion of the liquid phase of octane to thegaseous phase, with no change of molecular composition of the octanefuel with, or without, heated air. Due to the significant increase inEnthalpy of the catalytically converted octane and heated air, that gainwould be as much as 13% to 15% higher than presently experienced bytypical Carnot cycle engines. A similar gain would be experiencedwithout catalytic conversion of 12% to 13% by both air and octane heatedto the same temperature levels of 450° F. and 600° F., for example. Theeconomics and differences in MPG and effluent reductions of each processwill determine which of the two systems designed is to be used. Unheatedair simply reduces the temperature of the gaseous phase of octane, thusreducing the Enthalpy of the combustible mixture. It also explains whypresent, prior art, carburetion systems are inefficient, plus creatingengine knock and pinging, caused by non-uniform globular mixtures ofoctane liquid fuel and air at ambient temperature. Such a systemproduces a minimum Enthalpy, and seasonal temperatures changes in fuelefficiency show this to be the case. Such a redesigned system would beof great value to diesel and jet fueled engines, increasing MPG andgreatly reducing environmental pollution by using air and octane fuelsat increased temperature.

Catalytic screens may generally consist of platinum family alloys, suchas PD/RH alloyed with nickel and manganese, and metallurgical processbonding (clad) onto 304 SS wire that ends up at 0.015″ to 0.018″diameter, for example, where the clad thickness of the platinum familyalloy ranges from 0.0002″ to 0.0003″ thickness. The number of screens inan assembly could range from 1 to 8, for example, over the length of theassembly of a full catalytic system. Diameter of the screens could alsovary between 0.5″ diameters to 1.5″ diameter (20 to 40 mesh). For theAftermarket module, the diameter would be much smaller, and wouldconsist of one screen at the exit point of the heated fuel into thecombustion chamber. Fuel begins to convert to the gas phase at 258° F.The catalyst would primarily be an aid in enabling and assisting theconversion process, and maintaining the full gas phase.

The screen would be installed at the final exit point prior tocombustion. Wherever threaded joints are used, those joints are to becoated with, for example, Cotronics Threadlocker Red™ (RESBOND 907TS),which is effective from −300° F. to 2100° F., and resists vibration andshock.

In this alternate embodiment, the fuel reformer of its presentdisclosure would normally be non-catalytic and relies on using externalheat from the exhaust manifold for the air and liquid Octane (C8H18).The device is a combination of air and liquid octane tubes captured in aheat exchanger tube, which is hermetically sealed. A temperature probeon the exit end of the hot exhaust gases end cap controls thetemperature of the assembly. The temperature sensing probe control sendsthe on/off signal to a solenoid butterfly (flapper) valve at the end capentrance end, maintaining a uniform temperature throughout the runningcycle of the engine. This design would be best suited for the aftermarket segment where the efficiency of the Enthalpy (heat value of theheated fuel) will produce an improvement of 12% to 13%. It is envisionedthat one 0.5″ diameter clad screens (20 to 40 mesh) or other catalyticmember could be added at the exit end where the heated octane goesdirectly into the combustion chamber.

The octane fuel line and combustion air line are fully threaded overentire length of the device and both are turned into assembly by turningthrough both end cap extensions that have been treated with, forexample, Cotronics Threadlocker Red™ (RESBOND 907TS), in addition tolocking nuts on both entrance and exit ends. These added factors are toassure 100% hermetic sealing within the heat exchanger tube. The fulllength threaded condition also promotes turbulence of the hot exhaustmanifold gases versus that of a smooth tube, which promotes lamellarflow and an insulating layer for preventing good heat transfer.

In alternate embodiments of the present disclosure, a fuel-reformingmodule that utilizes waste heat from the exhaust manifold of an engine,which is compact enough to be installed between the fuel inlet after thefuel filter, and the outlet to the carburetion or injector system, isdisclosed.

The resulting composition of fuel that would be fed into thecarburetion, injector system or cylinders would be a gaseous fuel withthe same chemical composition as the original liquid octane fuel, butwith a considerably higher Enthalpy, and hence higher energy ofcombustion than the original liquid octane fuel. In prior art combustionprocesses, the total Enthalpy of combustion is reduced due to theconversion of the liquid fuel into gas requires an added supply of heat.There is a resulting loss in energy of combustion of liquid fuel ascompared to direct combustion of pre-heated gaseous fuel. The proposedconversion of the present disclosure thus enables a greater energy ofcombustion from a given mol of fuel input. Thermodynamic analysis datahas shown that preheating the combustion air supply can increaseEnthalpy by an additional 2% to 3% over the original heating of fuelonly. Combined with the process of the present disclosure, increases ofEnthalpy of 13% to 15% have been shown.

Thermodynamic evaluations of the inventions of the present disclosurehave been done relating to the conversion process. Calculations werecarried out with octane (C8H1418) as the fuel example and the resultsshowed significant Enthalpy advantage to be gained from conversion ofthe liquid fuel to gas prior to its introduction into the combustionchamber of an engine.

Examples of these evaluations are shown. The experiments andcalculations disclose that the proposed processes of the presentdisclosure result in conversion of liquid octane (C8H18), of identicalchemical composition, resulting in combustion fuel with significantEnthalpy increases.

A significant benefit of the catalytic conversion of the presentdisclosure is that the resulting gaseous fuel will undergo a morehomogenous and complete combustion than that associated with prior artliquid fuel combustion performed at ambient temperature, which is thesource of lower miles per gallon (“MPG”), and associated engine knockand ping. Other additional benefits include, among others (1) because ofsignificant increases in heating value of the fuel through the use ofwaste heat from the exhaust manifold that increases octane Enthalpy, theMPG of fuel will be increased. Less fuel per mile will be required,resulting in a concurrent reduction in effluent to the atmosphere. Thisrepresents an important contribution towards a greener environment, and(2) because a more complete and homogeneous combustion will be achieved,serious contributors to pollution such as soot CO2, NOx, and CH4 will bereduced. These benefits and the inventions of the present disclosurealso apply to diesel engines and jet aircraft engines.

By using the waste heat from the exhaust manifold of an engine, or bledoff the compressor stage of a jet engine, for example, the liquidpetroleum fuel would pass over catalytic ensuing materials, for example,304 SS screens, clad with PD/RH as an alloy of Nickel; 75% Ni, PD 15%,RH 9%, and Manganese 1%. This would constitute the clad surfacetriggering the catalysis. The reaction would take place in ahermetically sealed chamber, and convert liquid fuel to gaseous fuel ina heated environment, for example, starting at 258° F. and delivered tothe combustion process at 450° F. to 600° F. The catalytic reactionchamber (CRC) would be heated to a temperature range between, forexample, 450° F. and 600° F. The gas phase would start generally at 258°F., which is the boiling point of octane (C8H18).

Catalysis will assure complete conversion in the short period of timeoctane fuel will be exposed in the catalytic chamber, and asacceleration is required, that assurance of uniformity of gaseous fuelmust be uniform and continuous. The carburetion system of an engine willbe calibrated to a uniform and consistent production throughout thedriving or idling period. It is envisioned that modifications of theinvention may be offered without catalysis.

It is contemplated that the aftermarket automotive market would benefit,along with the original equipment manufacture from the invention of thepresent disclosure. A catalysis free version could possibly bereasonable and desirable for older vehicles. The benefits in MPG andreduced pollution would be significant enough for owners of oldervehicles to want the improvement.

Examples and Test Results

Examples and test results of the inventions of the present disclosurehave been carried out to determine the following (1) composition of thegas phase resulting from the liquid to gas conversion at differenttemperatures, (2) enthalpy effects associated with combustion of the gasat different temperatures and for different fuel conversiontemperatures, (3) adiabatic temperatures associated with the combustionfor different conversion temperatures, and (4) composition of the gasphase resulting from the combustion as it cools to ambient temperatures.

The calculations made in the Examples are compared, where appropriate,to the corresponding situation for liquid fuel combustion. While thegeneral conditions associated with the proposed process were firstinvestigated for combustion of the fuel with pure oxygen, additionalcalculations relate to combustion with air. All calculations have beencarried out for 1 atm. Pressure.

The test calculations have been carried out using C8H18 and C10H22 asstarting fuel, since thermodynamic data are available both for theliquid and gaseous states. The composition of fuels used in practice,particularly aircraft fuels, is more complex. Nevertheless, the generalconclusions obtained from the present calculations will still berelevant.

A. Composition of the Gas Phase Resulting from Fuel Reforming

Thermodynamic calculations indicate that the equilibrium state of thefuel is associated with a decomposition involving formation of carbon,as well as gaseous products. However, since insufficient time isavailable for carbon formation in the fuel in practice, its formationhas been suppressed for purposes of the calculations and gascompositions calculated accordingly. FIGS. 14 and 15 summarize theresults of these calculations.

FIGS. 14 and 15 provide information not only on the compositions of thegas phase resulting from the reforming of C8H18 and C10H22, but also onthe temperatures at which the liquid fuel decomposes into gaseousproducts.

B. Gas Composition Resulting from Combustion with O2

The gas phase resulting from the fuel reforming was next completelycombusted with 12.5 mols O2 or 15.5 mols O2 in the case of C8H18 andC10H22 respectively. The calculations have been carried out for thetemperature range 900 to 2000 F. The temperature at which the fuel gasand oxygen are fed into the combustion process has no influence on thecalculated composition of the gas resulting from the combustion itself.

FIGS. 16 and 17 disclose the composition of the gas resulting from thecombustion of C8H18 and C10H22 respectively with O2.

C. Enthalpy Change Resulting from Combustion with O2

The enthalpy change accompanying the combustion of the gas phaseresulting from the reforming of C8H18 and C10H22 respectively wascalculated for different temperatures of the gaseous fuel input into thecombustion chamber. The enthalpy of reaction is highly exothermic andessentially linear with combustion temperature. These findings areillustrated in FIGS. 18 and 19, where the results are compared with thecorresponding data for combustion of liquid fuel.

The reforming process results in a significant increase in the enthalpychange accompanying the combustion process and the effect is greater thehigher the temperature at which the gaseous fuel is introduced into thecombustion chamber. There is a calculated increase of approximately 4%over the enthalpy change resulting from combustion of liquid fuel(introduced at 70 F) if the gaseous fuel is introduced at a temperatureof 500 F.

D. Hypothetical Adiabatic Temperature for the Combustion Process

For each of the gaseous fuels, the hypothetical adiabatic temperaturewas calculated for different reacting amounts of oxygen. Comparison withthe corresponding values for combustion of liquid fuels is made in FIGS.20 and 21.

E. Cooling of Combustion Gases

The calculations imply complete combustion of the fuel in each case,with formation of H2O and CO2 as the main combustion products. It islikely that this will not be the case in practice, and larger quantitiesof CO, H2 and other gaseous species will be present in the exhaust gas.FIGS. 22 and 23 illustrate the equilibrium composition of the exhaustgas on cooling from the combustion temperature, but even for thisoptimum case, it is unlikely that equilibrium will be established at alltemperatures. More likely is that, with rapid cooling, the gascomposition will be closer to that of the combustion temperature andhence to the compositions at the right hand vertical axis.

F. Calculations for Combustion of Fuels with Air

The calculations make clear the influences of different parameters onthe reforming and combustion processes of the fuel, but are simplifiedby using oxygen, rather than air, as the second partner of thecombustion process.

A final series of calculations has therefore been carried out forcombustion of the gases from C8H18 with air, to investigate theresulting changes produced in the diagrams presented.

FIG. 24 presents the gas composition resulting from combustion of thegases from 1 mol C8H18 with 12.5 mols O2 and 50 mols N2. The presence ofNO and NO2 in the gaseous products is now evident. FIG. 25 compares theenthalpy change accompanying combustion of C8H18 in air for differentinput conditions of the fuel. As for combustion with O2 alone, thereforming process results in a significant increase in the enthalpychange accompanying combustion with air, and the effect is greater thehigher the temperature at which the gaseous fuel is introduced into thecombustion chamber. There is a calculated increase of approximately 12%over the enthalpy change resulting from combustion of liquid fuel(introduced at 70 F) if the gaseous fuel is introduced at a temperatureof 500 F.

The calculated adiabatic temperature change for combustion of C8H18 withair under different conditions of the fuel input is shown in FIG. 26.The calculated adiabatic temperatures are significantly lower than thecorresponding values for combustion with O2 alone, due to the largeamount of nitrogen being heated in the process. Of particularimportance, apart from the enthalpy change, is the volume changeaccompanying the combustion with air of liquid or gaseous fuelintroduced at different temperatures.

FIG. 27 illustrates the effect of these parameters on the expansionaccompanying combustion. The diagram shows that use of reformed C8H18results in a significantly smaller volume increase than thataccompanying combustion of liquid fuel introduced into the combustionchamber at a lower temperature. The volume difference is about 20% forgaseous fuel introduced at 500° F. and about 11% for gaseous fuelintroduced at 300 F. This difference will work against the benefits ofincreased enthalpy of the reaction by providing less expansion of thecombustion gases.

FIG. 28 shows how use of too little, or an excess, of air (oxygen) forthe combustion will have a large influence on the gaseous species formedand on their amounts. Use of too little oxygen for the combustion (lessthan 12.5 mols, for example) results in large quantities of CO and H2 inthe product gas, while an excess of oxygen (greater than 12.5 mols, forexample) leads to formation of nitrogen oxides in significant amounts.

While FIG. 28 represents conditions for a combustion temperature of2000° F., rapid cooling of the exhaust gas may result in unwantedspecies being retained at exhaust pipe exit temperatures. Thecalculations noted clearly demonstrate the potential for obtaining anincreased enthalpy of combustion of the fuel as a result of the proposedreforming process. This advantage appears to be counteracted by adecrease in volume, relative to use of liquid fuel at lowertemperatures, of the gases resulting from the combustion. This advantagecontributes to increased MPG and decreased volumes of effluent.

Turing to FIG. 29, the data illustrates the powerful influence ofincreased, or decreased, Enthalpy or heat value of liquid octane (C8H18)from changes in ambient air temperature alone for combustion air. InFIG. 29, the Enthalpy @ 70° F. vs. 25° F. was reduced by 1.25% over a45° drop in temperature to 25° F.

Enthalpy of the air fuel mixture of the liquid phase octane (C8H18 andconverted to the gas phase by catalytic conversion), can be increasedapproximately 13%+over the base Enthalpy through conversion of liquidoctane to gas phase octane, coupled with the heating of combustion airand fuel. Base Enthalpy represents average conditions of ambientenvironmental temperature of both fuel and air.

Heating of the air to a temperature of 500° F., for example, will matchthat of the gas phase coming out of the catalytic converter at 500° F.,enabling the increased energy of combustion. FIG. 30 displays the baseEnthalpy and the three different variable combinations of valuescombusted at a temperature of 900° F., for example.

The different combinations delivered to the engine combustion chamberare as follows:

Base: Air 70° F. and Octane Fuel 70° F. (Liquid Phase) Variables #1 Air70° F. and Octane Fuel 500° F. (Gas Phase) Variables #2 Air 500° F. andOctane Fuel 70° F. (Liquid Phase) Variables #3 Air 500° F. and OctaneFuel 500° F. (Gas Phase)

The increase in Enthalpy (Heat Value of the Fuel) the base condition foreach set of Variables is as follows: (Enthalpy is displayed as a minusvalue, and the larger the minus value, the higher the Enthalpy, or HeatValue of the fuel.) The combustion value of 900° F. is an arbitraryvalue for this study as other temperatures are also appropriate. LiquidPhase Octane and Gas Phase Octane are chemically identical, varying onlyin Enthalpy, Gas Phase Octane being higher.

Base −4,075,000 Joules Δ % Above Base Variables #1 −4,175,000 Joules2.5% Variables #2 −4,500,000 Joules 10.4% Variables #3 −4,600,000 Joules13.0%

The Base conditions will vary with the seasons, and the temperature ofthe air and fuel, and that is also why MPG varies seasonally.Temperatures of the combustion air and fuel have a significant influenceon MPG. For aircraft engines especially, which would be more significantthan for land-based operations, over 80 to 90% of the combustion air athigh altitudes is sub-zero year round.

FIG. 31 discloses the Enthalpy values, plus Enthalpy values for acurrent average ambient temperatures of 25° F. for both Air and octanefuel at 25° F. While the local temperature has fluctuated fromapproximately 10° F. to 40° F., a mean temperature of 25° F. has beenselected to display the sensitivity of the Enthalpy factor and MPG andreduced pollution as related to temperature of the air and fuel.

To further confirm this claim, for example, a Toyota Avalon 2008 Model,6 cylinders, 265 HP auto, was averaging 28 MPG, at the averagetemperature of 70° F., and when encountering 25° F. average temperature,has dropped −3 MPG during this period. These values were for acombination of highway and city driving between Providence and Boston.The change of Enthalpy from the Base of 70° F. to 25° F. has dropped to−4,010,000 Joules vs. the Base of −4,060,000 Joules, a −1.25% loss ofEnthalpy, and MPG. This data offers a sound backup to the positiveincrease of heating the air, the octane, and the catalytic conversion ofthe octane liquid phase to the octane gas phase. A smaller engineChevrolet 2008 Cobalt 2LT showed a similar loss of −2.0 MPG for citydriving primarily.

With these overall improvements in MPG, and reduction in environmentalpollution by auto engines, diesel engines, stationary engines, andaircraft engines, for example, all would add significantly to the wellbeing of planet earth, and saving of natural resources. In temperaturesbelow an average of 70° F., to cooler temperatures of 25° F. average, anet gain of 13% to 15% MPG, for example, and an equivalent reduction ofpolluting effluent green house gases are reasonable and possible.

Thermodynamic calculations indicate that the equilibrium state of octanefuel is associated with a full decomposition into solid carbon, and agas phase consisting almost entirely of methane and hydrogen, as shownin FIG. 32.

However, under usual conditions involving engine operation, inhibitednucleation and insufficient time are available for carbon formation fromthe fuel. Further, the boiling point of octane (258° F.) has been wellestablished experimentally, showing that liquid C8H18 is stable to theboiling point. Carbon formation has therefore been suppressed in allsubsequent calculations of the gas compositions resulting from heatingof liquid octane.

In theory, gas and liquid species containing up to 8 atoms of C might beformed on heating liquid octane. A series of calculations has thereforebeen carried out, firstly including species with up to 8 C atoms, thenup to 7, then up to 6, and so on, to investigate the influence of suchvariation on the gas and liquid phase formed.

The results show that no liquid phase is stable at any temperature up to500° F., unless the species in the gas phase contain a maximum of 3carbon atoms. This is shown in FIGS. 33-35, which represent calculationsfor inclusion of gas species with a maximum of 4, 3, and 2 carbon atomsrespectively.

It is clear from the FIGS. that conditions found in practice, i.e.liquid octane stable to the boiling point of 258° F. and no carbonproduced on heating, can only be reproduced by the calculations if gasspecies containing a maximum of 2 or 3 carbon atoms are included. Inboth of these cases, the major gas specie on transformation of 1 moloctane from liquid to gas is 1 mol C8H18(g). The second most abundantgas specie observed at the transformation is C2H4(g), with aconcentration over 1000 times smaller than that of gaseous octane.Hence, for all intents and purposes, in particular for all enthalpycalculations, the transformation of liquid octane to gas at the boilingpoint, and higher, results in a gas having the same chemical composition(C8H18) as the liquid.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made to theembodiments disclosed herein. Therefore, the above description shouldnot be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of thevarious embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art willenvision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claimsappended hereto.

1. A fuel reforming system comprising: a catalytic chamber containing acatalyst adjacent a heating chamber; at least one heat exchangeradjacent the heating chamber, the at least one heat exchanger beingdistributed along an outer surface of the catalytic chamber and includesat least one continuous portion and at least one segmented portion; aninlet and exit port in communication with the catalytic chamber; liquidfuel in communication with an inlet port; gaseous fuel in communicationwith an exit port, whereby the molecular composition of the liquid fuelentering the inlet port is the same as the molecular composition of thegaseous fuel exiting the exit port; an end cap for encapsulating an endof the catalytic chamber and the heat exchanger, the end cap furtherincluding one of the inlet and exit ports; and wherein the catalyticchamber is at least partially surrounded by the heat exchanger, thecatalytic chamber and heat exchanger being hermetically sealed from eachother.
 2. A fuel reforming system of claim 1, wherein the heat chamberand the catalytic chamber are substantially formed from stainless steel,the stainless steel including an alloy that enhances a catalyticreaction within the catalytic chamber.
 3. A fuel reforming system ofclaim 1, wherein the heat exchanger distributes heat by way of turbulentair flow until a maximum temperature of 400 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit issubstantially attained for converting the liquid fuel from a liquidphase into a gaseous phase.
 4. A fuel reforming system of claim 2,wherein the alloy is nickel.
 5. A fuel reforming system of claim 1,wherein the liquid fuel enters the catalytic chamber from a fuel filterin a liquid phase, turns into vapor within the catalytic chamber, andexits as the gaseous fuel.
 6. A fuel reforming system of claim 1,wherein the heating chamber utilizes pre-heated air received from anexhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine.
 7. A fuel reformingsystem of claim 1, wherein the catalyst includes an alloy comprisingcatalytic metals from any one or more of the platinum, nickel andmanganese groups.
 8. A fuel reforming system of claim 7, wherein theratio of platinum to another catalytic metal from the platinum group issubstantially between 65:35 and 90:10.
 9. A fuel reforming system ofclaim 7, wherein the ratio of platinum to another catalytic metal fromthe platinum group is substantially 85:15.
 10. A fuel reforming systemof claim 1, wherein the catalytic chamber further comprises at least onescreen member having a surface, wherein the at least one screen memberincludes the catalyst attached to the surface.
 11. A fuel reformingsystem of claim 10, wherein the at least one screen member is positionedsubstantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the catalyticchamber.
 12. A fuel reforming system of claim 1, further including atemperature sensor controlling the temperature of the catalytic chamber.13. A fuel reforming system of claim 1, wherein the least one heatexchanger distributes heat by way of turbulent airflow outside thecatalytic chamber until a maximum temperature is attained within thecatalytic chamber.
 14. A fuel reforming system of claim 1, wherein aflow control valve regulates the flow of heat received from an exhaustmanifold into the catalytic chamber.
 15. A fuel reforming system ofclaim 14, wherein the flow control valve is attached to the heatingchamber and the exhaust manifold.
 16. A fuel reforming system of claim1, wherein the heating chamber provides heat from an external source toan area at least partially surrounding and external to the catalyticchamber.